Sand-separating tank



W. E. MCGEE.

SAND SEPARATING TANK..

APPLICATION FILED APR.19.1920.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

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E. MCGIQE, OF CHILLICO'IHE, OHIO.

SAND-SEPARATING TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Jan. 31, 1922.

Application filed April 19, 1920. Serial No. 374,930.

To al Z w]: om it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM l). Moth-1n, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand-Separating Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sand separating tanks, and has for its object to provide a tank capable of containing sand and water in intermingled quantities, and to provide in conjunction with said tank improved mechanism, whereby the sand may be withdrawn from the tank in a quick and eflicient manner with but a minimum of moisture in its composition, whereby the same may be readily dried and adapted for utilitarian purposes without being subjected to the ac tion of expensive drying apparatus, or other moisture evaporating mechanisms.

In carrying out the invention there is embodied a tank structure which is formed so as to be capable of receiving intermingled quantities of sand and water, and to rovide in the base of said structure a transversely extending pocket in which a conveyor screw is rotatably mounted, the latter being formed so as to let out of the tank and to discharge its contents into an cxteriorly disposed and upwardly extending casing. and to provide a conveyor structure within said casing, which operates to elevate the sand discharged from said pocket and to conductthe sand collected thereby to a suitable position of discharge, whereby the sand may be removed from co-operation with the tank structure.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawing. in which similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts thrcmghout the several views thereof.

In said drawing:

Figure- 1 is a top plan view of the improved sand separating structure comprising the present invention,

Figure .2 is a side elevation of the structure. parts being broken away and shown in section for the purpose of disclosing underlying structure,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane disclosed by the line 4-4 of F more 1.

ieferring more particularly to the details ot the invention, my improved sand separatmg structure consists of a tank or receptacle 1, wh ch may be formed from any suitable materials, and of any size consistent with a desired output. This tank is adapted, as usual. to receive sand and water in intermingled quantities the same being intro duced into the tank, if desired. by means of a trough or inlet pipe 2. It will be appreciated that the sand and water may be obtained from any suitable source, such for example as a sand pit or working, wherein the sand is removed by hydraulic mechanism. It is obvious that when the sand is removed by such mechanism, it is necessarv that the sand be separated from the water, in order that it may be placed into a condition adapted for commercial usage. It is the purpose of the present invention to expedite this separating process and to render the same more efiicient and economical over prior apparatus. As a general rule, in past structures the tanks or receptacles have been n' i,ercl provided with valved outlet connections in their bottoms, which when opened serve to permit the sand to flow therethrough by virtue of the hydraulic head of water thereon. This system is open to the objection that a very considerable amount of water will pass out through the connections with the sand. and that sand so discharged must again be subjected to other apparatus for the purpose of exhausting or evaporating the moisture contained therein. Therefore. in order to overcome this the present invention has been devised to provide a structure whereby the sand will be removed from such tanks or receptacles in such manner that the water or moisture content thereof will be reduced to such extent that the moisture will be substantially negligible, so that the sand upon being discharged from the structure will be in a condition for practical usage without involving any appreciable amount of further drying.

To this end. the tank or receptacle 1 has its bottom 3 provided with a transversely extending metallic trough 4, which latter is in open communication with the interior of the tank. This arrangement is such that the sand, owing to its heavy specific gravity, will settle or collect in the bottom of the, tank, and will therefore be introduced into the trough 4. To convey the sand so collected from the trough, the present invention contemplates the provision of a screw conveyor 5. This conveyor, in this instance, is of the right and left type, and hence its rotation will result in forcing the collected sand laterally toward opposite sides of the tank. The vertical walls of the tank are provided with oppositely disposed openings 6 through which the outer ends of the conveyor 5 extend, and through which the sand is removed from the tank.

Disposed on opposite sides of the tank is a pair of casings 7, whose lower portions are disposed in axial registration with the'conveyor 5, said casings being situated so as to extend angularly and upwardly. in the manner shown in Figure 2, from the trough 4:. The inner walls of the casings are provided with openings 8, which communicate directly with the trough 4, and by means of which the sand carried by the conveyor is discharged into the interior and lower portions of the casings. Collars 9 are employed for the purpose of forming continuations of the trough 4, and to permit the material contained in said trough to be directly discharged into the casings.

' 10 of the. conveyor 0 are journaled within packing glands 11 provided in the outer walls of the casings 7, and by means of which glands the undue escape of water from the tank structure is prevented, and likewise sand is similarly prevented from interfering wit-h the bearings of the shaft ends. The ends 10 are also equipped with fixed sprockets 12, which are located centrally within the casing, and over these sprockets there are trained endless chains 13, the latter extending parallel with the casing 7 The upper runs of the chains 13 pass over sprockets 14: which are fixed to a power shaft 15. This shaft is journaled in bearings 16 provided upon the upper edges of the receptacle, and is equipped with a suitable pulley 17 or its equivalent for the purpose of imparting power to the conveyors. It will be readily appreciated that the bearings 16 may be of an adjustable character so as to be capable of overcoming such slack or wear that may occur in the chains 13. These chains 13 also carry a plurality of transversely extending flights 18 which are so positioned as to come into con tact with the sand or other material discharged from the trough 4, and to thereby collect such material and to carry same upwardly of the casing 7. The upper ends of said casings terminate substantially contiguous to the upper edges of the receptacle 1, so that the material conveyed by the flights 18 may be discharged from the upper The shaft ends ureter/s portions of said casing. Pans 19may be provided in connection with the discharge ends of the casings for the purpose of receiving the material released from engagement with the flights 18, and to direct such discharged material into suitable depositories.

From the foregoing description, taken in conjunption with the accompanying drawmg, 1t Wlll be evident that the present invention provides mechanism for efficiently handling and removing sand from a separating receptacle and the sand removed thereby will possess but a minimum. degree of moisture. It will be observed that the operation of the device is substantially auto matic, and hence manual attention or operations are rendered unnecessary. The material discharged from the casings will be in a serviceable condition and will not require, ordinarily, further drying operations. While the invention has been described as being particularly useful in sand separat ing systems, it will of course be appreciated that the same is not limited .in this particular capacity, but'may be used with equal effectiveness in other systems wherein materials are separted on the basis of a difl'erential and specific gravity.

What is claimed is:

1. A sand separating tank apparatus, including a receptacle capable of containing mixed quantities of sand and water, a trough formed in the bottom of said conveyor, a conveyor mechanism located within said trough and capable of leading the materials positioned therein toward the ends of said trough, conveyors situated exteriorly and on opposite sides of said receptacles and capable of receiving the materials discharged from the ends of said trough and to convey such materials to a plane of discharge above said trough, and casings surrounding the said conveyors.

2. In a sand separating apparatus, a receptacle capable of containing intermingled WILLIAM E. MCGEE. 

